What a stubborn child. My son still refuses to part with his mom, making me jump up at work every time my wife calls me. Yes, he is still not born. In the meantime world goes on, and from lack of anything better to write about (ok, from lack of time to do proper research on anything more interesting) I give you some free reading: Kelly Meding's "Three Days to Dead".

They'll never see her coming...

When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue - in a stranger's body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there - her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night she and the two other members of her Triad were the city's star bounty hunters, mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives but also convinced the city's other Hunters that Evy was a traitor and she can't even remember what it was.

Now she's a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice - and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days Evy will die again - but this time there's no second chance...

You can download Three Days to Dead from Suvudu Free Library.

There are many fantasy and sci-fi conventions across the world and then there is Dragon*Con. First launched in 1987 Dragon Con has to be the biggest SFF convention in US if not in the whole world. Each year DC attracts more and more visitors, who by now are counted in tens of thousands. Each year there are contests, shows, performances, sales and hundreds and thousands of people simply having fun. This year is no different.

Dragon*Con 2010 is still more than half a year away but it already has a number of prominent guests confirmed, including two of the StarTrek: The Next Generation stars: Jonathan Frakes (William Riker) and Marina Sirtis (Diana Troy), as well as two Twilight actors: Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen) and Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen). Did I not mention that a chance to meet the stars was one of the perks of visiting the convention? :-)

Dragon*Con 2010 will be held Labor Day weekend (September 3 - September 6, 2010) in Atlanta, GA. To learn more about the convention and to sign up go to Dragon*Con website.

The world is waking up from the end-of-decade party, time to start living in the new year 2010. It seems like a good time to take a look at what's hot in this new year in the fantasy books department! Take a look at Amazon's Fantasy bestseller list. The list is updated hourly, so don't worry if you're seeing different books or different order.

  1. Wit'ch Fire by James Clemens
  2. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
  3. Once Bitten by Kalayna Price
  4. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
  5. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

Looking at that list I can't help to notice that it has been overtaken by vampires. Teenage vampires in particular. I'll leave you for now and go to ponder this fact.

I mean, where did the dragons go?

First day of the 2010 year seems like a good moment to look back at the greatest fantasy books of the past decade. As I mentioned many times before, Fantasy genre is blooming recently, conquering hearts of more and more readers. Among many series that rose and continued in the "00" decade two stand out as unquestionable leaders.

First one is Rowling's Harry Potter series, seven books about a young student wizard. The final installment of Harry Potter series (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) sold 8.3 million copies in the USA in its first 24 hours of release, making it the fastest-selling book of all time.

Second series undeniably ruling the fantasy market was Stephanie Mayer's Twilight, a vampire-romance novel aimed not unlike Harry Potter, at Young Adults. First book in the series became an instant bestseller, debuting at #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list within a month of its release and later peaking at #1.

Those two series combined have entirely taken over the "USA TODAY TOP 10 BOOKS OF THE 2000S" list. The only book outside of the genre to make it to the list is The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Take a look at the list below, or if you don't believe me (I couldn't believe it myself!), take a look at the source.

1. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
2. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling
4. New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling
6. Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling
9. Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling

The world doesn't revolve around Harry Potter and Twilight alone though, so stay tuned for the best fantasy books of 2009! Coming soon on Fantasy Fan. :-)

Seventeen-year-old actress Kelley Winslow always thought faeries were just something from childhood stories. Then she meets Sonny Flannery. He's a changeling - a mortal taken as an infant and raised among Faerie - and within short order he's turned Kelley's heart inside out and her life upside down.

Lesley Livingston's "Wondrous Strange" is another book reviewed by our member, Mel McKenzie. Enjoy!

Wondrous Strange

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston is a book about Faeries and their world, which is new for me. Of all the mythical creatures, vampires have always been high on my list of favorites, because the vampire?s mystery appeals to me. On the opposite end of my fascination are zombies. But, somewhere above zombies, in the center, are the apathetic creatures, and this is where you?ll likely find the faerie. Unlike the zombies that irritated me, the faeries simply didn't register on my radar, not until I decided to give Wondrous Strange a chance.

Comic-Con 2009 may be long gone, but people are still talking about it. Mark from Strange Horizons recently posted interesting article, which among many things, covers various panels which were held there. The one in particular I'm referring to is a Fantasy and Writing panel, where hosts along with guests were trying to define the difference between "epic fantasy" and "urban", and "closed" or "open" worlds that incorporate magic, as well as some general thoughts on villains, heroes, and adaptations. You can find the full article here.

In case you didn't know, Strange Horizons, is a hugo-award nominated online sci-fi/fantasy magazine.

As hard it is to believe, it's that time of the year already. Christmas shopping extravaganza is starting, better hurry with your Santa lists if you want to make it before December 24th! To help you with this task Fantasy Fan brings you a list of most interesting fantasy items of 2009! Take a look below and see if there is anything you (or your family members) would like to find under the tree this year.

Lets start the list with obvious choice: Books

It was a very good year for fantasy books. Not only we got our hands on piles and piles of great new novels and series, but we were finally able to follow the story of some of the biggest fantasy saga's in the history of genre. Take a look yourselves:

For those of you unfamiliar with Jim Butcher, he's the author of highly popular series about a detective-mage (or a mage-detective) Harry Dresden, The Dresden Files, as well as another fantasy series called Codex of Alera. You can read the review of two first books of the series here: Furies of Calderon & Academ?s Fury. Haven't heard of it? Here's a sneak peak:

In the realm of Alera, where people bond with the furies - elementals of earth, air, fire, water, wood, and metal - fifteen-year-old Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. But when his homeland erupts in chaos - when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies - Tavi's simple courage will turn the tides of war.

The reason I'm writing about Codex of Alera right now is because Jim posted a fan made map of the realm of Alera. You can download it in a variety of sizes from his website www.Jim-Butcher.com.

Some time ago I wrote about Scott Lynch and his The Gentleman Bastard Sequence (see Red Seas Under Red Skies). Second book in the series, The Republic of Thieves, is coming out in June 2010 (June 6th to be exact).

If you can't wait that long and want a sneak peak at the book, head on to Scott's website at ScottLynch.us. You can also preorder the book today on Amazon.com.

Oh, and feel free to drool over the cover! ;-)

Not too long ago we wrote about Frank Beddor's The Looking Glass Wars, a true story of behind "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". Frank has kindly agreed to answer few questions about his career, his books and plans for the future.

So if you're a fan of The Looking Glass Wars and would like to find out more how it came to be, read on!

Not too long ago we wrote about a new fantasy anthology, Swords & Dark Magic: The New Sword and Sorcery, which will cotain works of many great writers (Erikson, Cook, Lebbon, Wolfe to name a few). The book is scheduled for release in US on June 22, 2010.

As for the cover (see the image on the right), I hope it's not final yet. The art lacks detail and looks like it's simply not finished.

You can preorder the anthology on Amazon.com today by following this link.

Stephen King is an American writer probably best known for his Dark Tower books. The hugely successful series incorporates themes from multiple genres, including fantasy, science fiction, horror and western elements. Three of the seven novels that make up the series have been nominated for prestigious Locus Award. The last book, sharing the name of the cycle ("The Dark Tower") received British Fantasy Award in 2005.

Recently Stephen King surprised his fans by the announcement that he would be returning to the Dark Tower world. He's going to write either a new novel or a collection of interwoven short stories that take place between the events of "Wizard & Glass" and "Wolves of the Calla". The working title of the new book is going to be "The Wind Through the Keyhole".

Not surprisingly this announcement divided fans. While some are thrilled with the prospect of new Dark Tower book, some can't help but wonder if the series is going to become another Wheel of Time which refuses to end. Personally I don't mind seeing a compilation of stories, but another novel would in my eyes rob the Dark Tower of one of the most important features of a good story: ending.

Find out more about the Dark Tower and other books by Stephen King on his website: www.StephenKing.com .

For those of you enjoying a good book about zombies and perhaps a good mystery as well, here's a two-in-one treat! Tim Waggoner's Nekropolis is just that, a detective story, where the main protagonist is dead... well, undead. :-)

Meet Matt Richter. Private Eye. Zombie. His mean streets are the city of the dead, the shadowy realm known as Nekropolis. This place has always been ruled by the vampire lords. Now they're planning to destroy the city. Over his dead body. More pulp than Pulp Fiction, more butt-kicking than Buffy, Nekropolis is the first in a deathly new series.

If you want to get a free taste of the book, head on to the Realms & Galaxies blog, where Dave Brendon posted first three chapters of the book.

Nekropolis is going to be published by Angry Robot and is scheduled for release on June 29, 2010.

Suvudu free library has some new fantasy titles available for free download! This time you will be able to read "The Best of Robert E. Howard, Volume 1: Crimson Shadows", "A Kiss of Shadows" by Laurell K. Hamilton and "Trading in Danger" by Elizabeth Moon. I'd like to focus your attention on the first of the three titles.

Even if there is a fantasy fan who don't recall who Robert E. Howard was I don't think that we'll be able to find one who would not know Conan the Barbarian. While Conan was indeed Howard's greatest accomplishment it would be a mistake to think that it's the only thing he has created. Much like Martin, Robert was a very versatile writer. Take a look at his "The Best Of", you won't regret it.

The Best of Robert E. Howard

Robert E. Howard is one of the most famous and influential pulp authors of the twentieth century. Though largely known as the man who invented the sword-and-sorcery genre?and for his iconic hero Conan the Cimmerian?Howard also wrote horror tales, desert adventures, detective yarns, epic poetry, and more. This spectacular volume, gorgeously illustrated by Jim and Ruth Keegan, includes some of his best and most popular works.

Inside, readers will discover (or rediscover) such gems as ?The Shadow Kingdom,? featuring Kull of Atlantis and considered by many to be the first sword-and-sorcery story; ?The Fightin?est Pair,? part of one of Howard?s most successful series, chronicling the travails of Steve Costigan, a merchant seaman with fists of steel and a head of wood; ?The Grey God Passes,? a haunting tale about the passing of an age, told against the backdrop of Irish history and legend; ?Worms of the Earth,? a brooding narrative featuring Bran Mak Morn, about which H. P. Lovecraft said, ?Few readers will ever forget the hideous and compelling power of [this] macabre masterpiece?; a historical poem relating a momentous battle between Cimbri and the legions of Rome; and ?Sharp?s Gun Serenade,? one of the last and funniest of the Breckinridge Elkins tales.

These thrilling, eerie, compelling, swashbuckling stories and poems have been restored to their original form, presented just as the author intended. There is little doubt that after more than seven decades the voice of Robert E. Howard continues to resonate with readers around the world.

You can download "The Best of Robert E. Howard" for free from Suvudu free library.

To celebrate three thousand fans of fantasy on our Facebook page we're announcing another giveaway! This time it's a bit different, because we're giving away an ebook. Maia Jacomus, the author of fantasy novel "Laodamia" has kindly provided Fantasy Fan with 5 copies of her debut.

The rules of a giveaway are simple, all you need to do is send email to giveaway [at] fantasy-fan.org with the subject "Laodamia". Remember to replace [at] with @ sign. This time shipping address will not be required. :-) We will announce the winner on Monday, November 16th.

Take a look at synopsis of Laodamia:
Kayin's hometown of Shantiglen is destroyed when the king of a mage realm receives a prophecy-and grossly misinterprets it. Ten years later, Kayin is the only remaining citizen, determined to have the town restored to its former glory, despite the impending return of the mage-king's army. Her hope for a future is assured by the arrival of the Cavalry, former citizens of Shantiglen who share the goal of defending the land against the mage-king. Kayin combines her prophetic abilities to the Cavalry's battle tactics to prepare for the mage-king's return, discovering along the way the truth of friend, foe, and fate.

It's the time of the year to get scared (and scary)! Here is a bit of Halloween literature, a short fiction story written by a friend of mine, Dave-Brendon de Burgh: Bloodheat. The story about Sarah and a monster was recently published by Unbound Blogzine. If you'd like to see more of Dave's work make sure to stepy by his Realms & Galaxies blog.

Hope you had a great Halloween! :-)

Jonathan Strahan, the editor of multiple Science Fiction and Fantasy anthologies, announced on his website (www.JonathanStrahan.com.au) that he has delivered (along with co-editor Lou Anders) a new fantasy anthology, Swords and Dark Magic: The New Swords and Sorcery to HarperCollins in New York. The table of contents is finalized and looks really amazing!

1. Introduction, Lou Anders & Jonathan Strahan
2. ?Goats of Glory?, Steven Erikson
3. ?Tides Elba: A Tale of the Black Company?, Glen Cook
4. ?Bloodsport?, Gene Wolfe
5. ?The Singing Spear?, James Enge
6. ?A Wizard of Wiscezan?, C.J. Cherryh
7. ?A Rich Full Week?, K. J. Parker
8. ?A Suitable Present for a Sorcerous Puppet?, Garth Nix
9. ?Red Pearls: An Elric Story?, Michael Moorcock
10. ?The Deification of Dal Bamore?, Tim Lebbon
11. ?Dark Times at the Midnight Market?, Robert Silverberg
12. ?The Undefiled?, Greg Keyes
13. ?Dapple Hew the Tint Master?, Michael Shea
14. ?In the Stacks?, Scott Lynch
15. ?Two Lions, A Witch, and the War-Robe?, Tanith Lee
16. ?The Sea Troll?s Daughter?, Caitlin R Kiernan
17. ?Thieves of Daring?, Bill Willingham
18. ?The Fool Jobs?, Joe Abercrombie

Personally I can't wait to get my hands on it. Along with authors I know and like I'm looking forward to reading something by writers I don't know yet, but heard only good things about. Names like Erikson, Cook, Lebbon, Keyes and Abercombie should make sure that this anthology sell like hotcakes!

Here is what Jonathan had to say about the book:
While there?s always someone else who could be in a book like this, we?re delighted with the quality of the stories we received, grateful to the authors for being involved and to our publisher for supporting the book. It?ll be out next July and is fabulous! Oh, and there?ll be a limited edition done by Subterranean Press too, which should be awesome in its own right.

You can pre-order the book on Amazon.com.

Last week we announced the giveaway of Frank Beddor's ArchEnemy, book three of the The Looking Glass Wars, a "real" story behind Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". Today it's time to announce the winner! A copy of ArchEnemy goes to Karissa Eckert! Congratulations and happy reading! :-)

For all of you who were not lucky today, stay tuned for another giveaway, which we will be announcing here, on Fantasy Fan and on our Fantasy fanpage on Facebook.

Once again I took a peak into my mailbox and discovered something I should have posted a long time ago. Conor and the Crossworlds is a series of books for children written by Kevin Gerard. Conor, a young boy subconsciously calls forth the power of the crossworlds creators. They send the mystical beast, Purugama, to accompany him on a fantastic journey. The books are intended for children 10-13 years old, so if you're looking for a good birthday gift, consider Conor!

If you want to find out more about the books about young Conor Jameson you can read the synopsis for each book (read below) and visit the series website at www.ConorAndTheCrossworlds.com . Kevin also wrote an article on Becoming a sci-fi / fantasy writer which we published some time ago on Fantasy Fan.

Crown of Vengeance is the first book in the new epic fantasy series "Fires in Eden", by author Stephen Zimmer. The book tells a story of townsfolk transported by magical mist into a strange land populated by fantastic creatures.

To commemorate the forthcoming release, publisher Seventh Star Press is offering pre-order packages for Crown of Vengeance, including a very special, limited edition hardcover signed by the author. The book will include an extra illustration, and designation plate as a limited edition within the book.

Information on the pre-ordering options can be found at the new site for the Fires In Eden series, located at www.firesineden.com.

The Warded Man, Peter V. Brett's debut, is one of the most successful books of 2009. The novel received great reviews, was immediately translated into a dozen of different languages and will most likely become a movie as well (read our article on Warded Man movie). Peter is currently working on the follow up, second book named "The Desert Spear". The novel is scheduled for a release in US on April 13th 2010.

If you want to learn more about the book take a look at Peter's website: www.PeterVBrett.com.
To preorder The Desert Spear visit Amazon.com.

Time for another giveaway! Thanks to very kind contribution from the author we have a copy of ArchEnemy to give to one of you! ArchEnemy is the third book in Frank Beddor's The Looking Glass Wars, a "real" story behind Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". The novel was published last Thursday, October 15, 2009, so grab it while it's hot!

The war for Wonderland has become a war for Imagination!

King Arch has declared himself King of Wonderland as Alyss searches wildly for the solution to the metaphysical disaster that has engulfed her Queendom. The power of Imagination has been lost!

Alyss's search for answers takes her to London where Arch's assassins threaten Alice Liddell and her family. But after coming to her adopted family's assistance, Alyss discovers herself trapped in a conundrum of evaporating puddles. The shimmering portals that exist to transport her home through the Pool of Tears are disappearing! What is happening in Wonderland? Deep within the Valley of Mushrooms the Caterpillar Oracles issue this prophecy: "Action shall be taken to ensure the safety of the Heart Crystal. For Everqueen." But who is Everqueen?

As the metamorphosis of Wonderland unfolds, enemies become allies, bitter rivals face-off, and Queen Alyss and Redd Heart must confront their pasts in this thrilling, no-holds-barred conclusion to the New York Times best-selling series.

The rules of a giveaway are simple, all you need to do is send email to giveaway [at] fantasy-fan.org with the subject "ArchEnemy". Remember to replace [at] with @ sign. :-)

Your email has to include a full mailing address (the address you would like to have the book sent to). Only emails with full address will be considered. Also, you should send only one email, multiple entries will be disqualified. We will announce the winner next Monday, October 26th.

This giveaway is NOT limited to US, so if you'd like to get a chance to read the book about a war in Wonderland, email away!

I mentioned Scott Lynch yesterday when I was writing about Red Seas Under Red Skies. Today I looked at the continuation of "The Gentleman Bastard Sequence": The Republic of Thieves. Scott is still working on the book, but we already got a peak at the cover art, which, again, is marvelous! And if you're eager to find out what the new book will bring the author posted a preview of the book on his website:

You asked politely. You asked impolitely. You sent death threats. You hired mercenaries. Well, they made their point very clear! Enjoy the prologue to The Republic of Thieves, and lay eyes on Sabetha Belacoros for the very first time.

You will find the preview of "The Republic of Thieves" as well as excerpts from two first books, "The Lies of Locke Lamora" and "Red Seas Under Red Skies" on Scott's website at ScottLynch.us.

They say you shouldn't judge book by it's cover. It is true, however, having a great cover art for your book can't hurt, because even though people may not buy the book after seeing a pretty image, they just might take a closer look at the inside, do some research and then decide that they like what they are seeing.

This is definitely the case with me and Scott Lynch's "Red Seas Under Red Skies". Take a look at the cover art and tell me that you'd pass this book without even a blink and I'll call you a liar. ;-) Having fallen in love with the flaming ship I started digging and found out that the novel is a second book in "The Gentleman Bastard Sequence", a seven book fantasy series following the life of the young professional thief and con artist Locke Lamora. Quick glance at the reviews reinforced the feeling that I need to put the series on my "to read" list.

If you want to learn more about the charismatic thief read the book blurb below or take a look at Amazon, where you'll be able to read first chapter of the story.

Time has come to announce the winners of our "Pax Morgana" giveaway. Just to refresh your memory, Pax Morgana is a set in Mythic Britannia fantasy book written by Bill Coffin.

The lucky winners of three copies we had at our disposal are Miroslav Jakus, Jeff Hamm and Mitch Forsey. Congratulations to those three and good luck to the rest of you guys in the next giveaway, which will come sooner than you think! :-)